Alize Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've been staring at the charts for Alize. Honestly, the outlook is a pretty grim one for the next 16 days. We're looking at a long, drawn-out period of poor surf conditions, with only a brief, fleeting glimmer of hope on the horizon.

The water is sitting at a warm 84°F, which is only 0.9°F above the norm for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. But the waves? They're a mess. For the next week, from Wednesday the 26th of August right through to the end of the first week of September, it's a write-off. Persistent cross-shore and cross-onshore winds from the east and southeast, with speeds between 12 and 19 mph, are just tearing the surface apart. The swell is tiny, mostly around 3 ft to 6 ft, and the energy is weak, with readings from 158 to 762 (combined energy of all swells directed here). The period is short, only 7 to 8 seconds, so there's no punch. It's just choppy, lumpy, and messy. There's a gap of about a week and a half with absolutely no recommendations.

Then, out of the blue, Sunday the 30th of August shows a spike. The morning session sees a bigger east-northeast swell pushing in at 7 ft, with a period of 10 seconds. The wind swings around to a light SSE at 12 mph, turning into a clean cross-offshore breeze. The wave energy jumps significantly to 1183 (combined energy of all swells directed here). This is the only real standout in the whole forecast. The swell direction is a bit off the optimum, but the clean conditions will make it worth a look. However, the swell is over 7 ft, so it's getting into expert territory. Afternoon holds similar size at 8 ft, but the wind picks up, making it a bit more challenging.

After that brief window, it's straight back to the same old story. From Monday the 31st onwards, the winds revert to the east and southeast, the swell drops back to 3 ft-5 ft, and the energy fades away to weak levels below 454. The cross-shore chop returns, and the conditions become poor again through to the end of the forecast on the 10th of September.

Bottom line: if you're a kite surfer, this setup might look interesting with the consistent wind, but for paddle surfing, it's a tough slog. The only real chance to get a clean wave is on the morning of Sunday the 30th of August, but even that is a marginal call with the risk of thunderstorms. Keep an eye on it, but don't hold your breath. The rest of the time, it's best to find something else to do.

Rusty.

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